- Date
- August 12, 1990, 01:43 local (07:43 UTC)
- Place
- Webster, WI
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9468VMooney M20C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report July 2, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 14490
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane. Factors related to the accident were: the dark night, the pilot's alcohol impairment, and his night flying restriction.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Pilot was reported missing aprx 4 days after he had departed for madeline island. An air search was not successful in locating the airplane and pilot. About 3 months later, on 11/17/90, the wreckage was found. The airplane had impacted the ground at a high impact angle and at a high impact speed. The pilot's wife told investigators that he 'loved to go to madeline island and drink.' Witnesses reported that the pilot was last seen in a bar at 0100 CDT, and that he appeared to be quite intoxicated. The pilot asked several people for a ride to the airport, but none recalled seeing him leave the bar. The airplane was not observed at the madeline island airport later that morning. The pilot's medical certificate had a limitation against night flying due to color blindness and required corrective lenses for near vision. There were no glasses located in the wreckage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9468V
- Reported as
- Mooney M20C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 700059
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1D, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Wilbur F. Nehring
- Departed
- WI32 · Madeline Island, WI
- Destination
- RZN · Siren, WI
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 71
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Flight hours
- 2,200 total · 2,200 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F